The City
by RukaShi
Summary: AU. SasuSaku. A merciless city where power goes hand-to-hand with survival - that is Konoha. When the power tilts suddenly in favour of a man who only wants to see the city burn, different lives and ideals collide and the darkest secrets of the city's underworld are uncovered.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here goes! This is my first fanfic that I am publishing (if you could call it that), like, ever, so please read and review. It would be really, really appreciated. SasuSaku has always been my first love and I'm pretty excited about writing about them. It might be a little short and all, but keep in the mind this is just an intro. There is much, much more to come so look forward to it. Thank you for even bothering to check this out! Peace. - RS.**

She had found a stray kitten.

Of all the strange things that were to happen to her that day, Sakura had considered this to be the strangest. It was a tabby with round, brown eyes, soaked from the light drizzle falling upon them and huddling next to the trash can she had been depositing the waste from the kitchens to.

It looked up at her with wearisome eyes. She stared right back at it.

After a few seconds, she turned on her heels and was heading right back into the restaurant but suddenly it mewled.

It was such a pitiful sound she couldn't help but smile.

Looking over her shoulder, Sakura saw that the kitten was still staring back at her with the same expression, an expression that now seemed to be saying mockingly, _I didn't say anything. You were probably hearing things.  
_

She had probably only raised her foot for another step forward that she heard it again.

"Oh, for Pete's sake," she huffed, going back and scooping the kitten up into her arms. It felt terribly skinny in her hands.

"Hey, Pinky!" A raucous voice shouted from inside. Oshiro.

"Be right there," she called back as the bony little creature in her arms cuddled closer to her body for warmth.

What was she doing? She didn't even like cats.

"Pinky!" Oshiro's patience had neared its end, apparently.

"I'm coming!" Looking down at the round brown eyes staring up at her now with complete adoration, she hissed, "You owe me, cat."

How stupid of her. It wasn't as if it could even understand her, much less begin to comprehend how foolish it was to stick to a human who could barely feed herself, much less a furry accomplice.

But Sakura felt an odd kind of relief talking to something animate however she liked without it snapping back or hitting her. A kind of companionship.

How strange.

" _Pinky!_ "

She rushed into the backdoor before her boss could come out looking for her and find not one, but two.

* * *

It had been done.

Staring down at the limp body in front of him, Sasuke exhaled heavily. The pool of blood was spreading in every direction, coming in contact with his black leather shoes.

 _How red it is_ , he thought vacantly. As red as the Uchiha blood running through his veins.

As red as the blood of his family.

Suddenly a spark of something terrifying flashed in his dark eyes and he kicked the body over roughly. Danzo groaned lowly as he was shifted from his front to his back.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Not dead. Yet.

Danzo's white shirt was soaked in the blood steadily flowing out of the stab wound in his stomach. His wizened face was sweating profusely, wrinkled hands shuddering as he took in his last few gulps of air. The soiled bandage over his eye had come loose and formed a loose halo around his head.

"Is it over, Master?" He heard Orochimaru ask. In reply Sasuke threw the bloody dagger in his hands aside. It fell onto the floor with a loud clang.

"Start the preparations," he ordered, still unable to take his eyes off of Danzo withering in agony.

"As you command." Sasuke didn't have to turn back to see the large crafty smile on his subordinate's pale face as he bowed lowly and left the room.  
Danzo cracked upon one eye and opened his mouth, struggling to say something. Only a wheezing sound emerged.

"Save your strength for the afterlife, Danzo," Sasuke murmured, crouching. "You have a lot of reckoning ahead of you."

A corner of the dying old man's mouth lifted up in a sneer and with a surprisingly display of sudden strength, he reached his hand out to grab Sasuke's wrist.

"Konoha…" he whispered, voice rasp. "Konoha will never…bow down to scum… _scum like you Uchiha bastards_!" He spat.

Sasuke continued to look down at him blankly.

"Cursed scum like you-" Danzo was interrupted with a violent series of coughing. Blood splattered the wooden floor boards, dripping down his chin. "-can never defeat the Will of Fire. You all will burn!" Both of his eyes had taken on a frenzied look. "Burn just like the scum that tried to take over the city before…"

His hand loosened around Sasuke's wrist.

"….the city…can never be… yours…"

Sasuke bowed his head slightly forward, his bangs covering his eyes. "The only one who'll burn…" A smirk appeared on his lips, cold and ruthless. "…is you, Danzo."

He shook the old man's hand off of him and got up, turning his back to the dying old man.

"C-curse you... damned Uchiha…"

His head rolled to the side, blood still dribbling from a corner of his mouth, as his eyes grew hazy and finally, his body stilled.

Sasuke straightened the cuffs of his shirt. They were also stained with splashes of blood. He would have to change into a fresh suit, he thought.

An important meeting was in order.

* * *

It was just one bad dream out of many.

There was nothing substantially different about this one, in fact, it was far less terrifying compared to its past counterparts. But it had still woken him up at 3'o'clock in the morning, his shirt sticking to his back with sweat, breath shallow and quick as if he had just run a marathon.

Naruto quickly discarded the top half of his clothing and ran a hand through his unruly blond hair.

"Old man Jiraiya..." he muttered under his breath. "What do I do now?"

When day would break he would have to evacuate the cramped motel room he was currently residing in. The owner had already threatened to kick him out several times already on account of overdue bills. Naruto wasn't scared of the little stocky red-faced man; he knew he could take him down in one punch, maybe even 'convince' him to let him stay for a week more or two. But if it was one thing his sensei had taught him, it was that peace was stronger offense than any kind of violence.

It was about time he moved on. The old man would have wanted the same, he knew it.

But to where?

He ruffled his hair again in frustration before collapsing face-down on the futon.

 _I'll think about it in the morning_ , he thought, half-asleep. _After a nice...hot...bowl of...ramen...  
_

The moonlight filtered in through the tiny window at the side, enlightening the tatami flooring, littered with empty ramen cups, and the sleeping form of the young blonde man. His back rose and fell with his rhythmic breaths, almost giving the illusion that the enormous tattoo of a fearsome red nine-tailed fox there was breathing as well, just waiting to be released.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I apologize in advance for any grammatical/spelling mistakes in this chapter, the previous one and the coming ones. Unfortunately, English isn't my first language. Thank you for the lovely comments, it really gives me motivation to write more.  
Warning! There is harsh language in this chapter.  
P.S: Each scene differs in time and setting. **

* * *

Sakura had been just putting her dress on when Oshiro slammed open the door.

"Dammit boss!" Ino screeched from in front of the vanity, where she had been busy powdering her nose. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"

The rest of the girls - some also in similar undressed states – murmured in discord. The newcomers tried to duck behind each other, arms crossed in a last desperate attempt at modesty. The girls who had been around longer, including Ino and Sakura, maintained their composure and continued getting ready. They were used to this derogatory behavior by their boss.

They were objects, after all. Simply tools to make money. Their opinion was insignificant.

Just like they were oblivious to his shamelessness, Oshiro was oblivious to Ino's baby blue eyes glaring in his direction.

"What are you looking at?" he barked at a group of girls standing frozen in their vests, staring at him. "Go get ready! We haven't got all fucking day."

They complied immediately.

Sakura took advantage of the commotion to quickly slip into her black cocktail dress, fastening the straps and adjusting the tight fabric so that it hugged her curves perfectly. If even a little thing was out of place, Oshiro would be displeased.

And when Oshiro was displeased, well, he put all his effort into ensuring that the workplace was hell for the offender.

"Yamanaka, where's Pinky?" She heard him demand. Sakura narrowed her emerald eyes.

 _He's been on my case the whole day. Something must be up._

Oshiro had a particular disliking towards Sakura and, as long as he wasn't in his sadistic moods, he pretended she didn't exist. It was probably because, unlike the other girls, she wasn't an extraordinary beauty or had an exquisite body - sue did not seem like an immediate asset.

But she was sturdy and could handle odd jobs around the place. Throwing out the trash, cleaning the tables, mixing drinks, giving first-aid – leave it to Pinky.

And she was what Oshiro begrudgingly called 'street smart'. She could easily size up guests on the first meeting and entertain them as well as the ever-popular Ino Yamanaka could.

Ino shrugged in response to his anger-fueled inquiry, turning back to the mirror to complete her makeup.

"Pinky!"

"I'm here, I'm here." Sakura stepped out from behind the screen.

Oshiro's squinty eyes trailed up and down her figure for a second before he walked forward to grab her arm. "Come with me," he ordered shortly.

"But it's my shift at the bar counter." Sakura replied stiffly.

"Fuck that. Leave it to Yamanaka." He commenced dragging her out of the dressing room.

"Me?" Ino gasped in horror. "But I just got my manicure done! What if I chip it?"

Oshiro grunted, clearly the last person who cared.

"But Boss…" Ino whined, pouting.

Sakura quickly escaped from his grip and said hurriedly, "I'll be out in a minute. Just let Ino do my makeup first." She had understood now that she would have to entertain soon. And guessing from Oshiro's impatience, it must be an important guest.

Oshiro grumbled, muttering curses under his breath as he went to wait outside.

"Sorry, Ino," Sakura said as the blonde leaned forward to brush silver eye shadow across Sakura's eyelids.

"What are you apologizing for, Forehead Girl? You know I'm always glad to do your ugly mug."

They muffled their laughter before Oshiro could hear them.

"No, I meant my shift. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Oh, please," Ino said dismissively. "I was just being dramatic. The guys are always cuter at the counter." She grimaced. "On the downside, they're probably alcoholics…"

"No, I really mean it. I'm sorry."

"There! All done." Ino turned her shoulders so that Sakura could see her reflection. As always, Ino had done the most in the least amount of time. Pink, glossy lips, eyes accentuated with eyeliner and eye shadow, skin glowing with a muted radiance. She looked like the perfect mixture of innocence and mischievousness.

Sakura smiled at Ino through the mirror, squeezing the hand resting on her shoulder warmly.

"Also…" she hesitated. "About that little favor I asked of you…"

Ino blinked a few times before understanding dawned in her blue eyes. "And I thought you were the most practical of all of us." She sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "You never cease to surprise me, Forehead."

" _Pinky_!"

Sakura got up hurriedly as Oshiro burst in again to drag her out again.

"Don't worry about it!" She heard Ino shout out from behind her as she followed her boss down the dimly lit corridor. Just as she expected, they were going to the private lounges.

"Who is it?" she asked calmly.

Oshiro sneered. "That's none of your business. All you need to know we're all going to get a lot of money at the end of the day."

That wasn't good enough. She needed to at least have a vague idea of what she was going into.

"Boss."

In response, Oshiro's stubby hand dug into her arm to the point of pain.

"A… VIP."

* * *

Naruto's stomach grumbled. For the fourth time that day.

He was standing across the street from a Japanese-style restaurant, looking at the customers eat with a dazed expression on his tanned face. Just as he had expected, the motel owner had kicked him out that very morning and now he was out on the streets with just enough money for one measly bowl of miso soup. Even if he did utilize this money now, he thought dejectedly, he would be back to square one.

 _So what?_ His stomach responded. _At least you'll have a full stomach.  
_

But then he'd have to work for money. At construction sites and other grimy places.

 _So what? Udon noodles floating in thick beef stock.  
_

And he wouldn't have a roof to sleep under. Even the free public saunas knew his face and had adopted a strict No Naruto policy.

 _So what? Steamed mackerel with spring vegetables and rice.  
_

And his only companion would be this grumbling stomach.

 _So what? I promise I won't be grumbling after some delicious sukiyaki.  
_

A determined glint appeared in his eyes as he stood up straighter and, without a single look back, walked away from the restaurant. He was a grown man who could make grownup decisions and he would prove that today.

Only minutes later, he was seen hurrying back into the restaurant and, though obviously not being able to afford it, loudly ordering seven portions of food for himself. After all, he thought smugly, why wouldn't they give a generous discount to a dashing blonde with ocean blue eyes?

They didn't.

* * *

The hallways were dimly lit with old-fashioned lanterns. Brick walls, wrought-iron grills, majestic landscape paintings - Danzo seemed to have been a man of good taste.

But none of that mattered to Sasuke. He walked briskly past them, his mind concentrated on only one thing - the men assembled inside the dining room ahead. Orochimaru matched his every step, an ever-present shadow. Sasuke paused briefly in front of the towering wooden double doors as they parted, allowing him a view inside.

The grand dining table stretched from the one side of the room to another. Candle stands were placed strategically on top at various parts, illuminating the different men sitting around the table. A low hum of conversation had been echoing around that ceased the moment Sasuke walked into the room. In unison, everyone turned their heads in his direction.

Eyes.

Everyone's eyes were on him.

Without a single change in expression, Sasuke walked over to the head of the table. A tall man with long orange hair stood there, a chair pulled out for him.

"Thank you, Jugo."

"Master," Jugo nodded back, stepping back as Sasuke seated himself.

Sasuke looked up at the people who were avidly watching his every move. He slowly took in every face turned in his direction, satisfied that he could recognize each and every face from the data he had collected. Every pawn was within his physical reach.

Perfect.

Out of all the eyes fixated on him at that moment, Sasuke could sense Orochimaru's snake-like yellow eyes the most. Waiting, watching, expecting his next move with a contained anxiousness.

"You may be wondering," Sasuke started. His voice was low, but the sound of it carried well across the dead silent room. "Why you all are here."

A few men stirred in response, someone muttering a "you're damn right" under his breath. Somewhere among them, a man wearing a grey suit pressed a button on his recorder.

"Each and every one of you carry a significant amount of influence in your particular clique. However, you are not gathered here today to exercise that influence." Sasuke raised his chin slightly. "Rather, you are all here as witnesses and messengers."

An uneasy murmur travelled through his audience.

"Witnesses to the crowning of your new leader, Sasuke Uchiha…"

The murmur grew into an excited buzz, as the men began looking at each other with fear and confusion.

"….and messengers of the death of your former leader, Danzo Shimura."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Mildly graphic content up ahead.**

* * *

For one tiny second, it seemed like time had frozen still. And then, all of a sudden, the room was in an uproar.

Men leaped up from their chairs, their voices all rising in a chaotic crescendo. Accusing fingers were pointed in his direction, their faces red as they spat curses at the quiet black-haired man sitting at the head of their table.

"Blasphemy!"

"Who do you think you are, boy?"

"I would have shot you in the head by now if I had my gun with me."

Sasuke had no doubt about the previous statement. Most of these men had violent, criminal backgrounds and were now bound to their own twisted version of the law. Danzo had been their one leader, who they would have blindly followed to the edge of a cliff if he desired them to. It was how they survived.

And now the leader had been changed suddenly, without prior notice, and this terrified them.

The sharp crack of a large dagger meeting the wood of the table interrupted the angry buzz of the audience. A young man with straight shoulder-length white hair looked up to meet everyone's startled eyes as he loosened his grip on the handle of the dagger.

"Hey," he said irritably, purple eyes flashing. "Shut your fucking traps before I shut them up for you, hear me?" He bared white teeth that seemed filed to a point, like a shark's.

"Suigetsu," A red-haired woman wearing glasses next to him pinched his arm warningly.

"Ouch! What the hell, Karin?"

"You better shut up first and let Sasuke finish talking."

"Don't make me stab you first you four-eyed bi-"

"Silence." A deep voice interrupted their little quarrel. Sasuke recognized the owner of the voice immediately. Those ghost-like white pupils surely belonged to one of the Hyuga clan. He was one of the few who had remained seated, deep in thought and with a furrowed brow, when Sasuke had spoken of Danzo's demise. "Settle down, all of you, immediately."

Everyone complied, albeit begrudgingly, indicating that this man held a high position of authority amongst them.

The Hyuuga man stood up to face Sasuke and bowed lowly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hiashi Hyuga and, on behalf of the rest of the Hyuga clan, I pay my respects to the next leader of Konoha city."

Sasuke nodded curtly in acknowledgement.

A few men shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Hiashi Hyuga had been one of the last people in the room they had expected to accept the situation so quickly. The man was known for his strict and uncompromising disposition.

"Hiashi," someone spoke up. "Surely you don't mean to support a reckless little kid like him-"

"-something doesn't seem right-"

"-he called himself an _Uchiha_ -"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you helped the brat kill Danzo in the first place."

Everyone froze, eyes turning to the person who had spoken. With hooded eyes and a large smirk across his tanned, scarred face, Ibiki Morino lounged back in his chair.

Hiashi's reply was ice-cold. "What utter nonsense."

"Why else would you be so eager to welcome the boy into the brotherhood?" Ibiki leaned forward, dark eyes blazing frighteningly. "Unless you were given some sort of incentive. Now I don't know about you damn Hyugas, but in my neighborhood, traitors are given the treatment they deserve."

"And in my clan, blind accusations are considered as betrayal."

"Now, now," An amicable voice rose from the crowd. Kakashi Hatake, immediately distinguishable with his silver hair, put a hand on top of Ibiki's shoulder. "We should all put what happened last week behind us. It's not good for business to quarrel."

'Last week' referred to the incident when a member of Morino's Torture and Interrogation Unit - an unofficial underground branch of the Konoha Police - attacked a Hyuga royal while drunk. The next morning, Morino's subordinate was found dead, stabbed in his own apartment with no trace of the killer. Tensions had been running high between the two groups ever since.

Ibiki leaned back with a loud grunt as Hiashi sat back down with grace.

"Now, young man, is it true that Danzo is dead?" Kakashi asked cheerfully.

"You damn right he's d-" Suigestu had barely began to speak when Karin clamped a hand over his mouth and, with Juugo's help, dragged him to the back.

"He is dead by my hand," Sasuke replied, ignoring the interruption.

"And may I ask how?"

Sasuke lifted his hand silently; Juugo placed a blood-stained katana in it. Ibiki boomed with laughter and Hiashi looked away in disgust - the Hyuga clan did not believe in fighting with weapons of any kind, only their ancient martial arts. The rest of the room looked mildly impressed.

"Primitive," Kakashi commented, his eyes sharply going over the gleaming blade and hilt. "But efficient. Just like the ancient rule of succession."

"Kakashi," Asuma said with exasperation. "Not you too."

"We all know the rule by heart. Whoever kills the leader establishes themselves as the strongest in Konoha - thus becoming the leader of Konoha themselves. Our individual opinions do not matter in this case."

"I agree with White Fang's son," an older man piped in. "While his face mask annoys me, he speaks with reason." A few murmured in accordance.

"I don't know about 'the strongest in Konoha'. All I see is an ambitious kid with a trail of minions thinking he can do whatever he wants," Sasuke met his eyes and Ibiki's smirk faded. "I hope you're smart enough to know you're playing with fire here."

Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke as he removed his cigarette from his mouth. "I'm more surprised to see my father's old disciple with him." He glanced Orochimaru's way, who smiled back with malice. "Makes me think he's more than what he seems."

"Oh, you have no idea." Sasuke heard Karin say to herself.

"You said we were 'witnesses'. What do you mean by that?" Hiashi asked.

"Orochimaru." Sasuke said, his tone commanding. Orochimaru reached into the pocket of his robe, retrieving a pale, long object and tossing in onto the middle of the table. It landed on it with a loud smack. Gasps of barely contained horror began circulating around.

It was a single finger, wizened with age, wearing an unmistakable ring.

The ring of the leader.

The ring of the strongest authority in Konoha.

A silver ring with a large jet-black stone with the symbol of 'Fire' carved onto it.

Danzo's ring on Danzo's amputated finger.

"A token," Orochimaru said gleefully. "From Danzo's corpse for you, Master." He was enjoying everyone's reactions greatly.

"Primitive," Kakashi repeated, his voice quieter.

They watched, stunned, as Orochimaru took the ring off the finger and polished it with a handkerchief, putting it in a velvet-lined box with great care and placing it in front of Sasuke. Now he had their undivided attention.

Deliberately making his movements slow, Sasuke slipped the ring onto his own finger.

"So it is true," Asuma said heavily. All around was a defeated atmosphere. All arguments had faded away the moment they had seen the ring. The ring Danzo had not taken off in over ten years. The ring symbolizing his invincibility. Danzo would have only let someone take it over his dead body.

Sasuke crossed his hands on the table, making sure the ring was fully visible to all. "I know you are more worried about your own businesses than Danzo's well-being. There is no need for me to interfere in what little balance of power you have maintained in this city over these years..."

The corner of his mouth lifted.

"...unless I have your full cooperation."

Ibiki gave a short, startled laugh. "Now there's a threat if I ever saw one. I like you already."

Hiashi bowed again. "I offer you my full support."

"So do I."

"As do I."

Slowly, but eventually, everyone muttered some sort of cooperation some way or another.

"If I may," a young man in a grey suit asked suddenly, his dark eyebrows drawn together in concentration. "What do you plan to do here?"

Sasuke looked up at him and when he spoke, the cold determination in his voice chilled all his listeners.

"I came to take back what is mine."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: An update after a long time! It feels good to be back.**

* * *

 _Show me how you got in this predicament  
Did the devil let you down? _

_\- Manhattan by Gallant_

* * *

The man in front of Sakura was not the type she had been imagining to encounter.

Usually the clients she had to entertain were pudgy old men wearing knock-off brands and wide, sleazy smiles or burly gangsters with tattoos running down the lengths of all their limbs. This guy was neither.

"This is the best you got?" His narrow dark eyes ran down Sakura's figure and turned accusingly towards Oshiro. "I'm disappointed, Mr. Manager."

Sakura noticed his eyes had prominent bags, making him look older then he seemed - a young man with spiky dark hair. He was dressed rather casually, in a beige button down shirt and jeans. On either side of him sat two girls in figure-hugging dresses similar to Sakura's, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

He would have appeared to be quite normal-looking if it hadn't been for the confident, self-assured smile plastered on his face. It was a smile full of evil intent.

Still, Sakura couldn't understand why Oshiro seemed to be practically trembling in his boots next to her. "Y-you said you liked exotic ones, Mr. Abumi."

The man snorted. "Exotic? Bullshit. Take it away." He made a dismissive motion with his hand.

Sakura stood still, staring straight at the painting above the couch he was lounging in. It was a painting of a mother cradling a child in her arms, a scene of warmth and comfort which was very contrasting to the current atmosphere in the room.

"But, at least-" Oshiro's voice sounded uncharacteristically squeaky.

"Out."

Sakura felt her manager's sweaty hand clamp down on her elbow and she followed him out.

 _Pompous asshole_ , she thought with each step. _I can't wait to get out of-_

She heard Abumi shift closer to one of the girls and say to her, "This is exactly why I say Konoha girls are so _boring_. They should learn from the Oto ladies - at least they don't resort to dying their hair just to get some poor sod's attention."

Sakura stopped.

"What are you doing?" Oshiro hissed, giving her an urgent tug.

"Oshiro," she said quietly, lifting her eyes to meet his eyes. "How important is this Mr. Abumi?"

"That isn't any of your fucking business, Pinky. Now come _on._ "

"I asked how important is he."

Oshiro stared into her steely eyes for awhile before answering, his voice calmer, "As important as this whole club."

Sakura nodded, exhaling. She had guessed it was that bad. "If I take care of him so that he leaves a happy man, will you agree to a condition of mine?"

Oshiro's small eyes widened at her words before narrowing again in caution. "What is it?"

"Give me and the girls a raise."

Stubby fingers suddenly dug into her skin to the point of pain. "Pinky, I told you already, that's imposs-"

"Hey, I thought I told you two to leave. You're ruining the goddamn mood, damn it!" Abumi put down his glass of whiskey with a loud bang.

Sakura looked pointedly at Oshiro. "Either I deal with him or you do. It's your call, boss."

The man in question looked like he was near to bursting a blood vessel. After a few tense seconds he exhaled, bowing his head slightly and nodded in defeat. As the door shut behind him, Sakura turned around to meet Abumi's eyes.

He had looked bored before - now he was leaning slightly forward, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"I just realized that I didn't introduce myself," Sakura flashed a smile so genuine it would have made her friend Sai proud. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sakura Haruno."

* * *

The letter lay, wrinkled from folding and refolding, deep in Naruto's backpack. When the nightmares would be at their worst, he would just stay awake all night and read it, poring over each word under the dim moonlight.

It was the only letter he had received from home all these years. Home. He wondered if he could still call it that after all that he had been through.

He had found some money under the floorboards in Jiraiya's old place. Quite by accident. His disposable chopsticks had fallen off the table and fallen into a narrow space between them. When he had pried the two boards apart, he had come across the fat toad-shaped wallet.

 _Typical old man_ , Naruto smiled. Jiraiya always had the weirdest quirks. _If he was here right now he would laugh that booming laugh of his and tell me he had been planning this all along._

"Life ain't that simple, kid," he often used to say. "You can't just get up and run away from your problems just like that."

Had it been a few days before, Naruto would not have hesitated in spending all the money in the nearest buffet. He hadn't received a fixed pay in so long and the nightmares involving rich beef stew had been more frequent than usual.

But that was before the letter had arrived. Now, he just sat cross-legged on the dusty wooden floorboards of the tiny inn where he and Jiraiya often stayed, staring down at the currency before him.

Minutes ticked by, his ramen grew cold. And finally Naruto made a decision.

 _This isn't because of that letter, Master_ , he thought as he reached the counter of the train station. _I meant it when I said I don't want anything to do with that damned city anymore. Believe me._

He reached down in his bag to take out the toad wallet, fingers brushing against crumpled paper by accident.

"How can I help you?" The girl behind the counter surveyed him with bored eyes, chewing bubblegum.

 _You were right, Master. You can't run away from your problems...because they run after you._

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "One-way ticket to Konoha, please."


	5. Chapter 5

_Are we just failures?  
Mama, have I failed you?  
'Cause I think I'm doing just fine _

_\- Taste The Sky by Verre_

* * *

"This whole thing is beyond ridiculous, Kakashi."

Kakashi Hatake looked up from the novel he was reading and smiled. "Life is always ridiculous, Asuma."

Asuma Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of smoke. Usually he would have given a biting answer to Kakashi's unhelpful, cryptic answer but today it seemed to make sense to him. Things really hadn't been going in the right direction lately.

"This Uchiha kid's got some balls," Asuma said. "To talk down to all the elite like that."

"I don't know - he sounded pretty respectful to me."

Asuma laughed. "Respect? Yeah right. You could practically see the hatred in his eyes. I could feel it all the way across the room." He shivered inwardly. That Sasuke Uchiha was trouble, he just knew it.

It was a whole day after the meeting with their new leader and the entire city was buzzing with gossip already. In their office in the Konoha Police Headquarters, Kakashi and Asuma had nothing much to do. Apparently the crime rate had dropped drastically ever since the news of Danzo's death had been leaked.

"Honestly, I can't blame the kid," Kakashi sighed. "After what happened to his clan."

"The massacre? I thought that happened because of another Uchiha."

Kakashi leaned forward thoughtfully, interlacing his fingers underneath his chin. "That _is_ what they say. But back when I worked for the ANBU, when it was freshly formed following Danzo's succession, I heard...rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Mostly controversy crap. That Itachi Uchiha, the offender, had been framed."

Asuma shook his head in defeat. "You know, I've lived in this city my whole life and it never ceases to surprise me."

"Luckily no reporters got a wind of that," Kakashi grimaced. "Even if they had, the ANBU probably did to them what they do best - disposal."

"Framed by who, though?"

Kakashi stared at him for a moment with contemplation before winking suddenly. "If I told you that I would have to kill you."

"Stop kidding around, Hatake, and get to the point." Asuma bit into his cigarette as he grinned.

"By the very man who's funeral is today, they say."

* * *

The ring on his finger burned.

Sasuke knew it was just in his mind, a figment of his imagination.

But the moment he had slipped it on, in front of the countless glaring eyes, he could swear he had felt something like an electric shock travelling from the tips of his fingers to his spine. His heart and mind began racing. He felt like he was breathless after conquering a mountain that was said to be unconquerable.

It had been exhilarating. The moment had felt better than he had ever imagined it would be.

All at once, he had forgotten about the scrutiny and hostility surrounding him. He had forgotten the darkness and his purpose. None of that seemed to matter anymore.

 _So that's how it feels._

Power.

He could finally see why Danzo had been so reluctant to give it up.

Sasuke looked down at the old map of Konoha City spread out in front of the table in front of him. The flickering flames of the fire blazing in the fireplace in front him cast small shadows on the browning paper and his profile. The longer he stared, the less familiar the place looked.

Once this had been his home. Now it didn't feel like it.

Almost lovingly, his fingers reached out to trace a certain corner of the city. It had been outlined prominently with red.

 _Soon_ , Sasuke thought, his head tilting back and eyes closing tiredly.

The ring on his finger burned and he loved every second of it.

* * *

It was late at night when her shift finally ended.

As she passed by the tattoo parlor on her way home, Sakura was tempted to go inside and see Sai. But he hated being interrupted while he was working and she was tired to the bone.

What a day it had been.

Zaku Abumi was the most difficult client she had encountered yet, considering Konoha was full of them. He was proud, rude and cocky. Her earlier impression of him had been accurate - he was from out of the city. Oto, to be exact.

Sakura climbed the steps to her apartment laboriously. She had been seeing more and more Oto natives in the club lately. It hadn't been a coincidence - the recent migration of people from Oto and Konoha had been causing more and more problems in their land.

Oto City had seen years of turmoil between its citizens and elite and had finally crumbled under pressures of poverty and inequality of wealth distribution. Most of the former upper crust of the city had moved to Konoha and its nearby towns in search of new prospects and beginnings.

If only they knew that it was easier said than done here.

The city was unforgiving to new occupants. Sakura knew from experience.

But Zaku was different. His every word, move and look told her that this was a man that could not be bullied into submission. That meant only one thing: he was backed by someone very, very powerful.

Someone powerful enough to scare Oshiro out of his wits. Oshiro, who had years and years of experience of working in the shadiest sectors of Konoha.

She suddenly remembered her boss's words as she unlocked her flimsy apartment door.

 _As important as this whole club._

How easily her and girls' lives could be summarized given the right amount of money and influence. How easily it was to get rid of them without even a second's thought when it was their only source of livelihood.

Her mind was still bitter as she swung the door open and was met with the familiar darkness. And out of that darkness, there was a sudden movement and something mewled, brushing up against her leg.

Sakura jumped and then laughed. "I had forgotten about you!" She bent down to pick up the scrawny cat. It looked at her lovingly with its brown eyes and meowed again in greeting.

She turned the light on and carried the cat in her arms to the kitchen. There on the floor lay a bowl of water, some cat food and a bag of litter.

Sakura smiled. _Thank you, Ino._

Settling back on her old couch, she raised the feline up and gazed at it.

"Now then," she said. "What do we call you?"


	6. Chapter 6

_I seen some darker places  
And I decided to turn around  
But they were following me, following me  
Until I turned back to face them _

_\- Capable by REMMI_

* * *

It is dark and Hinata Hyuga is scared senseless.

 _Breathe._ Some deep hidden instinct instructs her. _Breathe._

She knew she could properly, now that they had removed the foul-smelling gag from her mouth. The blindfold and ropes remained. But who were 'they' anyway? What did they want? Would they hurt her?

At the thought of violence - a different kind than what she was used to - her stomach lurched and she again felt like an invisible hand was closing around her throat. Her heart thumped erratically against her chest and Hinata bit down on her lip to keep from crying out loud.

A single tear slipped down from the blindfold.

She had been thrown in the spacious back of some vehicle. The air around her smelled musty and faintly of gasoline. A van, maybe? Hinata could feel the wheels swerve as it took a sharp turn. The van went on and on. Where were they taking her?

Panic again began to set upon her as she struggled against her bonds in vain. They were bound too tight and a spike of pain went through her arms whenever she moved. With a half-sob, she gave up.

 _Please, God. Save me._

How long had it been? Fifteen minutes? Or longer? What if it had been hours?

Right now, Hinata worried about her father the most. He must be so angry at her for suddenly disappearing without saying anything. Especially on such an important day. Her birthday.

What if he hit Brother Neji?

"Hello...?" she called out, voice hoarse. A little louder now, "Get me out of here!" The vehicle kept on going.

If only she could SEE. Hinata prided herself on her keen eyesight the most. She was sure she could figure out something if only she could be able to see around her.

She pushed herself off from the corner she had huddled in and with a huff, began crawling forward on her knees slowly. There must be a lock or a window or something that she could open and escape through. There _had_ to be.

 _Help me, God._

Hinata had only moved a few inches forward when she felt a sudden lurch and her breath stilled.

The van had stopped.

* * *

"Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with you today."

Karin didn't pause her pacing of the room for a second. "Nothing's wrong with me, fish face."

"Oh, something's definitely up. You on your period or someth-" Suigesu ducked behind the back of the couch as a book whizzed past his head. It hit a vase on top of the mantelpiece with a crash. He winced. "Hopefully Sasuke won't get mad about-" He only had a fraction of a second to duck the second object thrown in the direction of his nose. "Hey! Can you stop acting like a bitch for just a fucking second?"

To his surprise, Karin had resumed her endless rotation around the room. It was scary how quickly she could switch from an aggressive psycho to a maddening fidgeting woman.

 _Females._

A little more cautiously now, Suigetsu prodded further. "It's Sasuke, isn't it? What'd the bastard do this time?"

"More like what he _didn't_ do."

"Huh?" Suigestu popped a potato chip into his mouth.

Karin whirled around to face him, her unruly red hair swinging dramatically. "It's been TWO days and he hasn't talked to me once. He's been holed up in his room for more than that and that Orochimaru creep only smiles in that weird way of his when I ask what he's up to. I don't like it, I don't like the fact that Sasuke feels like he can just go on and disappear like this when I've been by his side all this time and pretend like I mean nothing at all and why does he even keep that guy around him anyway? I don't trust that pasty-faced snake for one second-"

"Respect, Karin." Jugo had entered the room without a sound as usual. "Do not speak of Orochimaru in that way."

"Hah," Suigestu replied, thankful for the interruption. "Karin and respect?"

Karin ignored him, an impressive feat, and redirected her glare to the tall orange-haired man. "You! Why won't you let me see Sasuke?"

"He didn't want any interruptions of any kind," Jugo said, his attention captured by the pigeon on his shoulder. It had seemed to appear out of thin air. "I was merely following orders."

"You sure he's doing it on his own accord? And not because of Orochimaru?"

Suigetsu threw his head back and laughed. "Are you serious?"

"I can't forget that man's past, okay?" Karin crossed her arms. "He is evil. I don't see how Sasuke trusts him."

"If Sasuke trusts him, I trust him." Jugo said simply, stroking the cooing bird.

"Never mind. I knew it was hopeless talking to you knuckleheads." Her worry hadn't lessened in the least.

Everything was going well. Things were finally beginning to set in place, all the pawns in Sasuke's favour. Yet he seemed even more consumed by the flames of revenge, even more than before they had arrived in Konoha.

It wasn't supposed to be like that.

"Don't worry, Karin. I trust Sasuke's judgement most of all."

 _I wish I could too, Jugo._

Suigestu shifted in his seat. He didn't like how the pigeon was eyeing his potato chips.

* * *

" _-take back what is mine._ "

As the recording finished, a strange kind of silence fell upon the small group of its listeners.

"Shit," breathed out Kiba Inuzuka, finally breaking the somber atmosphere that had descended upon them.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Rock Lee nodded from his perch on the armrest of the couch, in which Kiba, Shino Aburame and Choji Akimichi were crammed together. Shikamaru Nara reached forward and unplugged the sound recording device from the speaker.

They were all gathered in their unofficial meeting place - Sai's tattoo parlour. The owner of said parlour was leaning against the closed entrance door and had not said a word the entire time, only observing them all with his typical blank expression. It was past working hours for most people, but Sai only got most of his customers in the dead of night.

Outside of the window, the sky was as black as the suits they all were wearing after attending Danzo's funeral earlier in the day.

Shikamaru suspected that calling such a sudden meeting was causing Sai to lose potential customers, but it was inevitable. The parlour was the only place in the entire city where his heart was ease at the fact that no one from his clan or any other clan could spy on them.

"Well," he said. "This is it."

"The dude sounds absolutely wack. Can't believe Konoha is in his hands now." Choji replied.

Shino pushed his sunglasses up his nose, light glinting off them. "I am more interested why you're only showing this to us _two_ days late, Shikamaru." They all turned towards him with accusing eyes.

If they wanted him to apologize or at the very least look guilty, they were going to be disappointed. Shikamaru sighed tiredly, running a hand behind his neck. "You know there's a good reason behind everything I do."

"Yeah, well, spit it out already!" Kiba leaned forward, his palms resting on his knees.

"That day, Dad wasn't feeling well so he sent me to the council meeting in his place. I didn't want to go at first, but then I heard this bit of news that caught my interest. Something about Danzo going missing."

"But wasn't it Danzo who called the meeting in the first place?" Rock Lee asked. "Teacher Gai had to attend too, if it wasn't for his untimely sparring injury. Caused by me." Suddenly his eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Teacher Gai!"

Ignoring his exclamation, Shikamaru nodded. "Three days prior, actually. And then, when everyone was there, in walks this Uchiha guy with his lackeys, claiming he is now the leader of the city. Shows everyone Danzo's ring and the weapon he killed him with. There was still blood on it."

Choji fought back a shudder. "Sounds a bit theatrical to me."

"Yeah, well, you should have been there. There was something about him, I don't know what... something that told me that this was all premeditated."

"Are you trying to say Danzo _knew_ he was going to be killed?" Kiba's eyebrows rose, wrinkling his forehead.

Shino thoughtfully tapped his chin. "If he did... then maybe he wanted this Sasuke Uchiha to take over after him."

A low, barely audible laugh interrupted their discussion. They turned their heads to look at Sai, who now had a wry smile on his face. "It seems," he said smoothly. "You all forget that the one who knew Danzo's nature the best out of all of us."

It was him, they all knew. Sai had worked under Danzo for years from a very young age, only it was outside Konoha. And then he had left for some reason to pursue his more artistic talents. Shikamaru and the others trusted Sai, for good reason, but there was a lot about him that was shrouded in mystery even now.

"Danzo would never have resorted to suicide, or asked anyone else to kill him. About this, I am sure." Sai said.

"Yeah, I thought about it and it seemed a pretty boring story if it was as simple as that," continued Shikamaru. "So after the meeting ended, I went through Dad's official records for any information on the Uchiha family. There's nothing, except for the Massacre. It's all been erased."

"By who?" Rock Lee frowned.

"Someone very high up gave that order, I'm sure. So I thought maybe they're just hidden somewhere. I sent my informants all around - even managed to sneak a look through Lady Tsunade's confidential files - and still nothing turned up. And then I remembered why that Uchiha guy had seemed so familiar. He had been in Konoha Elementary School with us."

" _What_?" Kiba's mouth fell open. Even Shino's typically stolid face looked surprised.

"Are you sure, Shika? I would remember if someone who sounds as frightening as that was in the same class as us." Chouji said.

Shikamaru grimaced. "He was only there for a year or so. Pale kid with raven black hair and eyes. Kind of arrogant looking. I only remember him because he used to bicker with that blond idiot Naruto all the time."

"Oh!" Rock Lee blinked. "I think I do recall a little now." Choji, Kiba and Shino looked at him suspiciously - "Dude, you weren't even in the same year as us!" Kiba snapped - while Sai only smiled amiably. He hadn't attended the same school as them.

"Anyway," Shikamaru said. "I knew his full name, and I knew he had attended Konoha Elementary, so I asked Iruka to look into the school records. And I found it," His voice had a triumphant touch to it as he said the name, "Fugaku Uchiha."

"Huh?" Choji blinked.

"His father. Commander of the Konoha Police at that time." Shikamaru looked around expectantly.

Kiba inhaled. "I don't get what you're trying to say-"

"I guess I'm the only loser who paid attention in History of Konoha in high school," sighed Shikamaru. "Guys, Fugaku Uchiha's son is the one responsible for the Massacre."

Rock Lee gasped dramatically. "That little kid killed his entire clan?"

Shikamaru's voice had a touch of frustration now. " _No,_ Lee. His elder brother, Itachi Uchiha."

"So what you're saying is," Sai replied. "Sasuke is the only one who survived the Massacre caused by his own brother."

"Man, that's rough." Kiba leaned back on the couch with a huff.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he looked down the sound recording device in his hand. He had picked it out of his father's inventory secretly. He had to return it soon before Shikaku Nara noticed. "That's the thing. According to the official records, there were no survivors."

They all stared at him.

"That guy up there right now," Shikamaru said grimly. "He isn't supposed to be alive."


End file.
